ISLAMABAD: Pakistan yet to take an appropriate pie from global cake at the account of horticulture exports, despite the fact that the global trade in horticulture had increased four times over two decades and stood at more than $200 billion in 2019, said FPCCI Chairman Standing Committee on Horticulture Exports, Ahmad Jawad.
Talking to APP on Saturday, he said that since 1947, agriculture sector has received inconsistent attention.
There have been times of great development however it can be argued that last two decades have been worse for the agriculture.
A research conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) revealed that the Total Factor Productivity, one of the most informative measures of agricultural productivity, has been negative over the past two decades.
This shows that our growth is now reliant on inputs or increase in area under cultivation.
He said according to the Agriculture Census 2010, 78 percent of the farmers in Pakistan have land-holdings of less than 7.5 acres.
Wheat, cotton, maize, sugarcane and rice are the main crops grown by these farmers.
These crops are labor intensive and mechanization plays a small role.
This means that sowing of these traditional crops is of little competitive advantage for these subsistence farmers as compared to high value agriculture.
Therefore, it is high time to capitalize on the opportunities offered by horticulture and it has to be given a central role in order to boost the agriculture growth....
Read Full Story: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/919806-pakistan-needs-to-develop-coherent-national-policy-for-horticulture-development
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